Maharashtra ‘Godman’ Booked For Rape; Accused Of Posing As Lord Shiva To Exploit Woman
A self-styled godman from Palghar has been booked for allegedly raping a 35-year-old woman after claiming to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva, police said on Friday. The accused, identified as Rishikesh Vaidya, allegedly came into contact with the Pune-based woman through Facebook in 2023.
According to the FIR, he met the woman in Pune in December that year and allegedly misled her by claiming he was an incarnation of “Mahadev” and that she was his “Parvati.” Police said the accused allegedly took the woman to a lodge in Pune’s Manjari area, where he administered a substance and sexually assaulted her. He is also accused of taking photographs without her consent and later using them to blackmail her.
The complainant further alleged that in May last year, the accused called her to a hotel in Vasai and attempted to sexually assault her again. Officials said the woman decided to come forward after the recent arrest of another self-styled godman, Ashok Kharat, in Nashik, which encouraged her to report the alleged abuse.
A case was initially registered as a Zero FIR at Manikpur police station before being transferred to Hadapsar police in Pune, as the primary offence occurred there. A Zero FIR allows a complaint to be filed at any police station, regardless of jurisdiction, and is later transferred to the appropriate authority for investigation.
The woman has also alleged that the accused may have used a similar modus operandi to exploit other women. Police said efforts are underway to trace and arrest him.
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